Sweet Christmas Kisses (154 page)

“Why would a guy play Santa if he hated kids?”

“Money,” Noelle said. “Putting on the suit comes with a significant paycheck, mostly because they have to deal with screaming toddlers, wet diapers, and snotty noses that are invariably wiped on Santa’s beard.”

Put like that… “Hazard pay, you mean?”

“Yes,” Holly said, aiming a scowl at him. Obviously she was growing impatient with his ignorance. “Can we get back to the important topic at hand? We need a Santa today.”

“More like an hour,” Noelle said.

“Can’t your guy from the agency fill in?” Michael asked.

“I called, but he’s not supposed to be here until the Village opens tonight. He’s still three hours away.”

“Who can we get on such short notice?” Holly asked.

“That’s why I was searching for Michael,” Noelle said. She turned beseeching eyes on him. “I need you.”

Wait a minute... “To play Santa?”

“In what way does Michael resemble Santa Claus?” Holly asked, sending another venomous glare his way as if he’d pushed Howard Lansing off the porch.

“He doesn’t, but we need a body,” Noelle said. “I have the suit, beard, and hat.”

“We’re going to have a Santa built like a boot-camp workout instructor?” Holly asked, aghast at such a notion. “If we were going to have calendar featuring the men of Covington Falls—”

“Thank you,” Michael said, flashing her a teasing grin.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she responded. “I’ve got eyes. I can tell a good physique when I see one. If we’re going with whomever we can find, I’ll call Drew
.
”

“He’ll need to watch your brood,” Noelle said. “You’re going to be busy with the parade, and Mom hasn’t left the hospital except to shower since Dad almost died.”

Holly drew back her shoulders. “I’m sorry I haven’t been pulling my weight,” she said. “We knew going in I wouldn’t be able to do as much because of the kids and Junior here.”

“Yes, but today Junior and the rest have to share you,” Noelle responded. “I need you more. Dad needs you more.”

“I hate it when you go all passive aggressive,” Holly said, her lip curling.

“And I hate that my entire
life
has been put on hold while I handle this mess. Deal with it.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Michael put up his hands in a
T
. “Time out, ladies.”

In an instant, they turned on him.
“What?”
they said in unison.

Note to self: Never get between the Robinson sisters when they were fighting. “If you need me to be Santa, I’m in.”

“Thank you,” Noelle said. “You’re my hero.”

Holly crossed her arms. “There’s still the problem of your hero having washboard abs.”

“How do
you
know Michael has washboard abs?” Noelle asked.

“He helped his parents paint their house this summer,” Holly said. “I happened to be visiting Mom and Dad.”

Startled laughter escaped Michael’s lips. “That took two weeks.”

“It was summer and Mom and Dad have a pool. We don’t. Can I help it if the kids wanted to swim every day?”

Holly had been checking him out. Michael didn’t know whether to be flattered… or embarrassed.

“You’re
married
,” Noelle said, a spark of anger in her eyes. If Michael didn’t know better, he’d think she was jealous. An intriguing thought he’d best not explore.

“Yeah, but I’m not
dead
,” Holly said. “We still haven’t solved the other problem. As Mrs. Claus said once said, we can’t have a skinny Santa.”

Noelle studied him. “We need some kind of padding and a way to secure it.”

The eldest Robinson sister added her scrutiny. Then she snapped her fingers. “A pillow and a bandage.”

“Great idea, but where do we get them?” Noelle asked. “We’re in the middle of a football field.”

“I have both in the car.”

“You do?” Michael asked in wonder. “Why?”

“I have three kids and another on the way,” she said, as if that explained everything. He must have given her a blank stare. “Katie had first-aid lessons in school a couple weeks ago, and Drew and I are taking a childbirth class.”

“Haven’t you learned everything there is to know about childbirth by now?” he asked.

“I’ll get the stuff,” Holly said, ignoring him and concentrating on her sister. “You find a place where Michael can change. I think there’s a storage shed where they keep the equipment.”

So saying, Holly took off at a run, leaving Michael with Noelle.

Noelle handed her car keys to Michael. “The Santa suit is in my trunk. I’ll go find Coach Bennett and get the key to the shed. He’s over by the football team’s float. I’ll meet you on the other side of the field.”

“Right. Rendezvous at the storage shed.”

She grabbed his arm and pinched. Hard. “Don’t say the word
rendezvous
around my sister.”

Good advice, especially if he wanted to keep all his body parts intact.

Unfortunately, the parts of his body that remembered the sensation of Noelle pressing against him found the idea of a rendezvous in the storage shed rather intriguing.

****

Rendezvous at the storage shed.

Was Michael Campbell crazy? This wasn’t a romantic interlude. This was survival. This was hoping she made it through today without anyone being maimed… or squashed under a float.

Except a tiny part of her couldn’t help but be curious about what such a rendezvous would entail. Mostly the parts of her that had been pressed up against him a few minutes earlier. Those parts would not mind a secret tryst.

Liar, liar pants on fire,
the junior high portion of Noelle’s brain chided.

Shut up,
Adult Noelle responded.

Locating Coach Bennett didn’t take long. As Noelle raced across the field with the key, she told herself to get a grip.

The parts of her not caught up in a schoolgirl fantasy about being blindfolded with Michael Campbell in a closet for seven minutes were appalled he had to bail her out. Again.

Only he hadn’t seemed annoyed. In fact, before her sister had interrupted, Noelle could have sworn he’d been close to kissing her.

Of course, he was a guy, and they tended to react when coming into close contact with a woman. Plus, he’d been divorced for a while. He might have reacted to any female in his arms.

Maybe you should test that theory,
Adult Noelle said.

That would be totally awesome,
Junior High Noelle answered.

“Both of you shut up.”

“What?” Michael asked as they met in front of the storage shed. He had the red suit in his hands.

“Talking to myself,” Noelle said, feeling her cheeks warm. “It’s an occupational hazard.”

Good old Holly arrived right on cue, with the pillow and bandage. “These should do the trick. There’s not much we can do about your hair, other than shove Santa’s hat down as far as it will go, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

“All right,” Michael said. “I’ll go change.”

“You’ll need help securing the pillow,” Holly said. “I should go with—”

“I’ll do it,” Noelle said before she could stop the words. She didn’t want her sister anywhere near Michael’s washboard abs. She refused to dwell on why. Except Holly had made it a point to go to Mom and Dad’s every day while Michael had been painting his parents’ house.

Before her sister could protest, Noelle took the pillow and bandage and shoved her clipboard at Holly. “Finish doing the walkthrough and make sure everyone’s in the correct order. We’ll be right out.” She pushed Michael toward the storage shed. “Come on. We don’t have much time.”

It wasn’t until the door clicked shut that Noelle fully comprehended what transforming Michael into Santa would entail. Because before he could put the suit
on
… he had to take his clothes
off
.

“You’ll need to—” Noelle gestured to his jeans and fleece jacket.

“Right.”

Michael pulled the jacket over his head. A thermal shirt followed. Then his jeans. He was a boxers’ guy, which was a good thing. Noelle wasn’t sure she could have handled the sight of him in briefs.

Oh yes
, Adult Noelle said as she got her first real eyeful of Michael Campbell in all his amazing, mouthwatering, beautiful glory.

Junior High Noelle let out a tween-girl-at-a-boy-band-concert squeal.

He reached for his tank top. Noelle let him lift it enough to see that he did indeed have perfect washboard abs. Not the kind of six-pack a man got in a gym, but sculpted out in nature. Noelle would never say another word against him dangling off the side of a mountain.

“Umm… you can probably leave the tank top on,” Noelle said, even though
every
part of her longed to let him finish the show.

Oh…
Adult Noelle whined in disappointment.

Oh…
Junior High Noelle echoed.

Even with the tank, Noelle could still see his wide shoulders and the rippling muscles in his arms. Nothing wrong with his legs, either. Oh daddy, rock climbing had been very good for the legs.

“Noelle…” Michael said, pulling her out of a haze.

She dragged her gaze back up to his face. “Hmm?”

“I’m freezing.”

“Oh?” She gasped, realizing she’d been ogling him like a dancer in one of those male reviews. “Oh… right!”

Stop being such an idiot.

Except her brain only seemed able to concentrate on the fact that she was going to have to touch him.

Get to it, girl,
Adult Noelle said.

Junior High Noelle had her hands over her eyes, though she was peeking out from between her fingers.

Shaking her head in exasperation at the warring personalities in her head, Noelle slapped the pillow at his middle. “Hold that.”

Michael clasped it against his chest. “Are you all right?” he asked, eyeing her with concern. “You look flushed.”

Lucky pillow. “I’m
fine
. Let’s get this over with. Lift your arms now.”

His lips quirked at one end. “You just said to hold the pillow.”

“And now I’m saying lift,” she snapped out.

The amused grin stayed in place as he raised his arms with deliberate emphasis. She swallowed as every muscle in his body rippled with the movement. The pillow almost fell to the floor, but Noelle recovered enough to whip it back in place.

She might not survive Santa’s transformation.

Keeping one hand on the pillow, she started wrapping the bandage. This involved reaching around behind his back to grasp the bandage with her other hand. Ten times. Ten passes behind his back. Ten times brushing up against him. Noelle knew because she counted every one.

Midway through number ten, she lifted her chin. The smoldering flame in his eyes took her breath away. His jaw was clenched so hard she could see the tendons in his neck flexing.

Oh, just kiss him
, Adult Noelle screamed.

Junior High Noelle giggled and covered her eyes again, but she nodded enthusiastically.

Michael’s arms lowered, but only so he could loop them behind her back to pull her flush against the pillow. So frustrating to have that barrier between them now. His head came down, and Noelle rose on her toes, desperate to get closer.

The shed door gave a mighty squawk, and a shaft of light pierced the gloomy interior.

“Are you guys done yet?” Holly demanded. “We’re ten minutes from the start.”

Michael muttered an oath against her hair. “I’m gonna kill your sister.”

“I’ll supply the weapon,” Noelle said, before stepping back.

“What’s going on in here?” Holly asked, her eyes darting from one to the other. She sniffed, as if she could smell attraction in the air.

“What does it look like?” Noelle answered, waving at Michael’s pillowed and bandaged body. She gestured to the Santa suit. “Finish putting that on and meet me at the sleigh.”

She escaped before Michael could say anything, and before Holly got another whiff of
eau de lust.
Blinding sunlight did little to banish the sight of a nearly naked Michael Campbell from her mind, however.

Noelle marched back across the field with Holly at her side.

“You’re hot and bothered,” Holly said.

“I am not.”

“You enjoyed that.”

“I did not.”

“Did too.”

“Well, who wouldn’t?” Noelle retorted. “You looked plenty last summer apparently.”

“Sure, but that’s all I wanted to do,” Holly said. “I can appreciate a fine man, just like I can appreciate a fine painting. Doesn’t mean I want to hang it on my wall. You however…”

“Me however nothing,” Noelle said through gritted teeth. “I’m not interested in Michael. I’m allowed to look, too. I’m allowed to appreciate art. It doesn’t mean I want to hang it on
my
wall, either.”

“Are you so sure?”

No… she wasn’t sure at all.

Mission Number One: Ensure the opening of the Christmas Village went smoothly.

Mission Number Two: Avoid physical contact with Michael Campbell. 

Amended Mission Number Two: Avoid being in close proximity with Michael Campbell as well as actual physical contact.

The enormity of Mission Number One should have been enough to distract Noelle from having to worry about Mission Number Two. Unfortunately, Michael’s rock-hard abs refused to be ignored, no matter how buys she was.

She should be immune. So what if he had a mouthwatering body? A lot of men had a six-pack. Not many men
she
personally knew, of course. Doug hadn’t been so blessed.

I’m comparing brothers. How warped am I?

Noelle let out a mental shriek and shut off all avenues of thought leading to Michael Campbell.

Thank goodness the parade kept them separated long enough for Noelle to get a hold of herself. Michael was essentially trapped on the Santa float while she ran up and down the parade route, attempting to keep everything from horses to clowns to cheerleaders in line. Meanwhile, Holly radioed from the start of the parade to let Noelle know when she’d given the sendoff to the next in line.

Holly’s next message game through the walkie-talkie. “Santa’s sleigh is
en route
,” she said. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but Michael doesn’t look half bad. Red velvet with fur trim is a good fashion statement for him.”